I. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a cutting mat. More specifically, the invention concerns a portable cutting mat which when rolled out on a flat surface is marginally larger than a standard four foot by eight foot wood sheet. Said mat contains replaceable support pegs set in a grid pattern of predetermined spacing to support said wood sheet above the mats top surface and create cutting channels beneath said wood sheet and between rows of said replaceable support pegs for use in cutting said wood sheet with a power circular saw. This grid system of said replaceable support pegs allows the user to put their full weight upon the wood sheet while cutting without fear of binding or stopping the blade of said circular saw, thus creating a safer way to cut said wood sheeting.
II. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,123 issued Jul. 18, 1972 teaches a penetrable bed used for cutting cloth sheet goods. The cloth material is held up by a bristle bed. As the blade cuts through the material it makes contact with the flexible bristles and pushes them to either side of the cutting blade without damaging the bristles. A disadvantage is that the bristle bed is a part of a large stationary cutting machine which would not be portable. Yet another disadvantage is that in order for the bristles to be flexible they do not have enough strength to hold heavier wood materials and also would not allow the full weight of the user to be on top of the wood material as it is being cut.
Another cutting table U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,994 issued Sep. 8, 1992 teaches a portable rigid saw table. The saw table has two parallel beams with notches to accept cross pieces of scrap wood or other material. The material to be cut is laid on top of the crosspieces and as the blade of the saw cuts through the material it also cuts through the cross pieces which then need to be replaced. A disadvantage is the wasteful cutting of cross pieces which makes the saw work harder and further dulls the saws blade by cutting through unnecessary material. Yet another disadvantage is that being rigid would make it cumbersome to carry around. Yet another disadvantage is that it is a table and would not be safe for the user to put their full weight on top of the material to immobilize said material while it is being cut.
None of the prior art teaches an improved cutting mat in which user safety is achieved by securing the wood material being cut to the cutting mat by standing on said wood material. Thus using the full weight of the user to immobilize said wood material during the cutting process. Also, none of the prior art teaches an improved cutting mat in which none of it's parts are designed to come in contact with the cutting blade thus making the saw more efficient and also help the saw blade last longer. Also none of the prior art shows an improved cutting mat that is made of light weight material that can be rolled up and easily carried to the job site or stored.
Thus it is the intent of the present invention to provide a cutting mat in which safety is achieved by using the full weight of the user to immobilize and secure the wood material being cut by standing on top of said material. It is also the intent of the present invention to provide a cutting mat in which cutting channels between rows of replaceable support pegs are designed to eliminate contact of anything except the material to be cut thus improving efficiency of the saw and longevity of the saw blade. It is also the intent of the present invention to provide a wood sheet cutting mat which is portable and light weight allowing said mat to be rolled up when not in use for easy storage or transportability.